No More Masks Tonight
by Kyoko Kasshu Minamino
Summary: After saving him, Catwoman helps Batman realize that he always has a choice to love or not to love. The night draws them together closer than ever. Warning for extreme, tooth-rotting sweetness. A sappy CWBM fic. It's good, I promise. R&R! One-shot.


No More Masks Tonight 

A/N: Mou…the Catwoman/Batman disease has infected Kyoko! She must write more shippy fics! X.X

Gomen nasai…Warnings for extreme sappiness; sorry, a step down from my other two CW/BM one-shots. Just had the urge to write a tooth-rotter. Hope you like it. Ja ne!

-Kyoko

…

The feline inside of Selina Kyle, better known as Catwoman, came alive as she attached her whip to the flagpole across from her after temporarily distracting Gotham's Dark Knight with a game of tonsil-hockey. She flipped into the air and landed in a crouch, then ran as fluidly as a panther in the jungle, her home, the concrete jungle known as Gotham City. Batman was in pursuit, but the crafty femme fatale was a hairbreadth out of his reach. Catwoman came to the end of the string of buildings that led out to the bridge over Sprang River. The Dark Knight narrowed his eyes, closing the distance to corner. Her seductive smile spread wider as she dove off backwards and landed safely on the back of an eighteen wheeler, waving cheerfully as his form became smaller and smaller due to the increasing distance.

Batman wasn't about to give up yet.

…

Carl Valiant glanced at his rearview mirror nervously for the twelfth time, absolutely sure he'd seen a black shape upon the roof a moment before. He shook himself and gripped the wheel until his knuckles blanched white.

"Calm down, man, you're scarin' yaself," he muttered, mopping the sweat on his brow with the back of his hand. He jumped as his cell phone rang and he fumbled to answer it.

"Y-Yeah?"

"Are you on your way?"

"Yeah, I'm about to cross the bridge."

"Good. Any sign of the Bat?"

"N-Not yet, no."

"Great. Remember where I told you to drop the shipment off and make it quick, I got places to go, people to do in, and I need it now, you got that?"

"Absolutely, sir."

"Good man. Your money'll be waitin' for ya soon as ya get here."

The phone clicked dead and he pocketed it, exhaling.

"Everything's fine. There's find out about this. I'm home free." The traitor murmured, relaxing into an easy grin.

A well-placed bullet soon changed his mind.

…

Catwoman backed away as Batman closed in on her, eyes searching her surroundings to find a method of escape.

"Give it up, Selina. There's no where left to run."

She relaxed into an easy smile, her posture melting into the casual comfort of a cat.

"Darling, I never run. I only get chased."

Further banter was silenced as a shower of bullets hit the side of the eighteen wheeler, shot from a black van with two men holding heavy machine guns. The truck swerved wildly, its driver hit, and slammed on the brakes, skidding in a circle as it tried to slow down. The men in the van kept shooting, filling the air with lead spears of death. Batman shot a rope out and caught it on an over-hanging beam, swooping Catwoman up in one arm as the vehicle exploded. He grunted as the force tore through him, slamming into the his consciousness with the force of a freight train and knocking them out of the air, spiraling into the river below. He was unconscious before he hit the water.

Selina was not.

…

Strange grey shapes swirled before the Dark Knight's eyes and he groaned, feeling as though his head was being dismantled one brain cell at a time. When everything began to stabilize, he recognized the upside down, soft triangular features of Selina Kyle, face clean and almost ethereal in the pale moonlight. Her beautiful jade-green eyes were full of concern and comforted him involuntarily. She was saying something but her full, red lips had no sound coming from them due to his disembodied state. Probably from the explosion, he noted. He allowed her to continue running her fingers through his thick, black hair, resting his head in the lap, until he came to realize his cowl was missing.

Bruce sat up, rewarded with a twinge of pain in his right shoulder and ribs. The world righted itself and he glanced around, realizing he was in Selina's home (One of them, anyway), and stripped of the top half of his costume.

Selina slid forward from behind him and touched his shoulders, drawing his attention back to her.

"Ease down, it's alright, you're safe." She cooed soothingly.

He frowned. "My mask…"

She scooted from the bed to stand, a sad and almost wounded look clouding her eyes.

"You hit your head pretty hard underwater. What was I supposed to do?"

He fought the urge to sigh and stared at his boots, voice softer and less harsh.

"Injuries?"

"Dislocated shoulder, concussion, couple of bruised ribs. You should be fine."

He touched the bandages to confirm her words and fell silent, unable to find the words to say. She spoke instead.

"You know, somehow I'd always known it was you. All this time, I was never completely sure but somehow, I know."

She hugged herself gently, staring out into the cool night as she continued.

"I guess it's because you were the only one who was always there for me, in and out of costume. I had no friends since I chose no sides, neither good nor evil, just kind of treading the line, alone. It all makes since."

_"Don't tell me to stop_

_Tell the rain not to drop_

_Tell the wind not to blow_

'_Cause you said so_

_Tell the sun not to shine_

_Not to get up this time, no no_

_Let it fall by the way_

_But don't leave me where I lay down…"_

He spoke finally. "Then you know why I couldn't tell you."

"_Tell me love isn't true_

_It's just something that we do_

_Tell me everything I'm not but_

_Please don't tell me to stop…"_

She turned to him, eyes defiant and full of argument.

"Yeah, I know, but I don't understand! Don't you see, Bruce, we're the same! Two people, drawn to darkness, prowling the night, living for the excitement, the chase, the adrenaline!"

"We've been through this before, Selina. It wouldn't work."

Her eyes softened, "Only because you won't let it."

"_Tell the leaves not to turn_

_But don't ever tell me I'll learn, no no_

_Take the black off a crow_

_But don't tell me I have to go_

_Tell the bed not to lay_

_Like the open mouth of a grave, yeah_

_Not to stare up at me _

_Like a calf down on its knees…"_

She crossed the room and touched his face gently, staring into the deep pools of his ice-fire eyes that branded her heart every time she looked into them.

"Bruce…you've given up everything for this city; your life, your future, your family, yourself…but most importantly, you gave up love. Don't yo understand? Love is what you're fighting for. Without love, there would be no Gotham, there would be no Batman, there would be no us, there wouldn't be anything. Love is what you protect every time you put on that mask. Without love, there is no life. Without life, there is no love."

"_Tell me love isn't true _

_It's just something that we do_

_Tell me everything I'm not _

_But don't ever tell me to stop…"_

He opened his mouth to protest but she silenced him with a finger to his lips.

"I know, I know, you don't want to hurt me or anyone else but don't you think it's time you have what you want? What you need?"

Bruce sighed into her hand, the pain on his face leaking into his voice.

" I made a promise to this city, to my parents, to every one that I love that I would keep them safe. Doing that means I have to make sacrifices."

She stroked the side of his face gently, whispering,

"Some things we can't sacrifice because we'd die without them."

"_(Don't you ever) Tell me love isn't true_

_It's just something that we do_

_(Don't you ever) Tell me everything I'm not _

_But don't ever tell me to stop_

_(Don't you ever) Please don't _

_Please don't_

_Please don't tell me to stop_

_(Don't you ever) Don't you ever_

_Don't ever tell me to stop_

_Tell the rain not to drop…"_

"Selina…"

"Don't hide from it, Bruce. You need love as much as love needs you. I know you're afraid to love me because I might die, but I don't care. Just for one night, understand that you have a choice. You can choose to make it work or walk out on love right here and now. It's always your choice and it always has been."

"_Tell the bed not to lay_

_Like the open mouth of a grave, yeah_

_Not to stare up at me_

_Like a calf down on its knees."_

She released him as he stepped forward and picked up his discarded mask, staring at it as if in a trance. Selina bit her lip and turned away, waiting to hear the swoosh of his cape indicating his exit but instead found his hands on her shoulders, turning her around.

"Thank you," he whispered before pressing his mouth to hers, lips parting her own, seeking entrance to her mouth. She returned the favor and sank into his arms as they coiled around her waist. She pulled away enough to speak.

"Promise me…no more masks tonight."

Slowly, he nodded and whispered the same before sinking into her passionate embrace.

"No more masks tonight…"

…

END

Kyoko: Hope you guys enjoyed it and I don't own that song, either. Review if you want me to eject the song; I added it in last minute. Thanks for your support! REVIEW!


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